


Patches Won't Last Forever

by MatchaMochi



Series: Lance Dish Time [7]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: He's just really stressed, M/M, References to Depression, and teeny weeny bit of angst, bouncer!kolivan, eating habit issues, fluffs, half altean! lance, im totally projecting, kolivan can fix that, lots of jobs lance actually, waiter!lance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:01:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23632771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MatchaMochi/pseuds/MatchaMochi
Summary: The man in front of him doesn’t seem bothered at all, he chats with him, steals the bread off his plate before slinking off when he notices they’ve been talking too long. Kolivan shrugs, finishes his food and heads home to take a nap and maybe, go to the gym after.He hums thoughtfully when he walks down the chilly road.Maybe it isn’t just sentimental value, maybe….maybe it’s just Lance.//Lance has a lot on his plate but it’s fine, he can still hold on to the cracked edges. (Right?)
Relationships: Kolivan/Lance (Voltron)
Series: Lance Dish Time [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1675384
Comments: 6
Kudos: 72





	Patches Won't Last Forever

**Author's Note:**

> I zapped this thing in an hour cuz I'm falling back to my bad habits....hope u enjoy I guess ( was listening to gorillaz's new Aries while making this)

The diner he goes to isn’t really that grand or large like the others in the city. Kolivan has only gone there every day for breakfast because of the sentimental value it had. It was the first place he’d gone when he’d arrived to work in the city. He always eats alone. After his job in the club winds down at six in the morning he grunts his goodbyes to his other coworkers, grabs his leather jacket and his bag, walks down the quiet street to the diner.

As the sun rises steadily, so does the city. He fades in the crowd, the noise of cars, shops and chatter growing to a crescendo at seven. Being a Galran here wasn’t that uncommon, though being Altean was obviously favoured. Being human though, was a bit hard.

He spots a homeless Terran huddling on one of the corners of an alley, and he sighs, breath puffing out from the cold air. Winter this year was harsh, he wouldn’t wish it for anyone to stay outside too long. He digs out his wallet, drops his gloves too. He could always search for another pair in a dollar shop somewhere.

His stomach is already grumbling by the time he walks in and as the door rings as he sits. It’s seven-fifteen, and he doesn’t hope but he pretends to look out the window when the waiter comes by and takes his usual order. He murmurs it out, but he doubts Lance would forget. And, maybe it’s this what he’s been waiting for; Lance gentle touch on his shoulder, the way he asks Kolivan, lighthearted and soft, “Rough night, big man?”

He rarely smiles but it’s much easier when Lance is here. He cracks it out, just a bit. Takes the cup of coffee from Lance gratefully and says, voice low, “Some trouble with another dickhead, it’s nothing new.”

Lance only hums, smiling at him knowingly while he lays out his food on the table. Kolivan takes the chance to drink him in, dark skin, soft brown hair, warm blue eyes. He though Lance was Altean but his round ears say otherwise. He’d thought Lance would be afraid of him the first time they met but he’d only grin at Kolivan before smirking, ‘ _Let me guess, you’re the new bouncer right?_ ’

Apparently, Lance used to be in the club he was working in right now. He never specified he worked as what and Kolivan never asked. If Lance doesn’t want to tell him, he doesn’t want to pry. Now, he works the morning shift and leaves off to another part of the city he does not know. Another job no doubt, those shadows under his eyes never seemed to go away.

“He put something in someone’s drink,” he scowls, “threw him out the minute he tried to drag his date out.”

Lance is much more comfortable with him now, and Kolivan doesn’t understand it, how Lance could stare at him long enough as he sits across him, smiling. He has a scar running from his right brow to the edges of his mouth, and he’s heard enough about how his scowl made his face ten times more intimidating.

The man in front of him doesn’t seem bothered at all, he chats with him, steals the bread off his plate before slinking off when he notices they’ve been talking too long. Kolivan shrugs, finishes his food and heads home to take a nap and maybe, go to the gym after.

He hums thoughtfully when he walks down the chilly road.

Maybe it isn’t just sentimental value, maybe….maybe it’s just Lance.

-

He always had a hard time letting anyone in. Trust issues? Perhaps. But it’s been months of him mooning over Lance so he finally thinks that maybe he’s waiting too long. After he leaves from work, he eats in the diner and he chats with Lance and he says,

“Do you want to have dinner with me?”

It’s horribly cliché, and he immediately scowls to himself after he says it but Lance is blinking back at him, shocked and red-faced. He smiles at Kolivan then, and Kolivan feels his heart throbbing when Lance brushes his cheek with the back of his hand, soft on his scar, with an even softer smile. He says, “Alright, but nothing too fancy okay?”

That evening, he picks up Lance from his other job in another restaurant, and they eat at a Galran place he knew because his friends from his old town had recommended it to him.

Lance has little crinkles at his eyes when he laughs, he noticed. He also notices the way he sometimes sighs quietly and stares outside. How his nails are short but his fingers are rough at the edges, how his eyes droop slightly, bags under them prominent in the low lights.

Soon, Kolivan invites him to his modest apartment and he makes Lance soup and turns on the television so they could cuddle on the couch together and watch re-runs of an old show he’s seen before. Lance seems enraptured though, he fits right in with Kolivan. Sitting on his lap, his head tucked under his chin.

Lounging in his kitchen, munching whatever he found in the refrigerator. Shrieking in delight when he’d carry Lance off his feet to place him on the counter, kissing him breathless, tugging on his long braid. They don’t talk much after that, and after he carries Lance off to his bed he finds out that he fits in right here too, like a missing puzzle piece.

He traces kisses down the column of Lance's neck, smooths his hands down Lances thighs with reverence. The morning after, Lance groans, upset, when he realizes he has to go out early for work.

It’s the weekend, but Kolivan kisses his cheek goodbye nonetheless. Daydreams about the exact tone of his voice in his apartment, wishing it to come back again.

-

-

There are other things, that he fails to notice straight away when they started dating. Lance has a habit of skipping meals, but whenever they go out he always leaves his plate clean. He learns that Lance is half-Altean and that his human father still lives on earth.

Lance tells him he works day and night, weekdays and weekends because he needs to send some money to him but he also needs to pay the rent and save some for emergencies. So what if he doesn’t eat for a few hours? He’d say, smiling softly at him.

It doesn’t work with Kolivan. He’d scowl at Lance, and pulls him away to shove some food at him. Lance had glared at him back when Kolivan had scolded him for not sleeping but after he pulls down Lance to his bed, Lance is out like a light.

The lines under his eyes are growing, sometimes, Kolivan could see his arms tremble involuntarily, or smell the sweet scent of ketone from his breath, or count his ribs when he runs his hand down his body. He doesn’t want this to continue, but he has no idea what to do.

Lance doesn’t want anyone helping him, he’d snap at him whenever he takes the check for their meals, frowns at him when he gives Lance extra leftovers. But. His heart breaks, just a little bit more, when he sees just how _exhausted_ he is, and he hides it so well with that damn smile.

It comes to a head, eventually, when Kolivan proposes that he pays some of the bills.

“I am _not_ your charity case Kolivan!” He shouts it out, fists shaking, furious but his eyes are brimming like he himself doesn’t know what to do.

“I know, stop that,” he sighs when Lance starts shaking his head, “Lance I- I just want to help you. _Please,_ I just- I can’t keep seeing you like this. Just let me help.”

They’re in his apartment again. The silence after envelopes them both like a suffocating wave. And it pops just as Lance gives out a quiet sob, collapses on the couch.

“ _I’m sorry, I’m sorry,_ ”

-

“I was never used to getting hungry before this you know? Back on earth, I’d help my sisters cook, and we would never want for anything. But, but then my mother died on a ship accident somewhere near here and we’ve always relied on her to support us. My father works on earth and I’m the only one who’d make a chance here really,” he touches the marks at his cheeks softly, grimaces at the wet tears trailing down,

“I try to hide my ears sometimes. Didn’t work. I try to find anyone that would take me and I just. I…got used to it you know? Mondays are biscuits, Tuesdays its noodles, Wednesdays and Thursdays are leftovers and Fridays are special. Maybe a dessert. Weekends are biscuits again.” He sighs, and this one is tired, dragged down from his bones, “Now, even when I have the money I never got used to taking more. I’d save it for later, send it away to my family.”

He takes Kolivans hands in his and it's cold and clammy but he squeezes it, his voice getting more firm, “I’ve been selfish, I know this isn’t how it's supposed to work. You’ve let me in and I shut you out and I- I’m sorry for that.”

Kolivan is quiet for a while, before he sighs, pulls Lance to his lap, where it’s warm and where he fits just right. And he says,

“My whole family died during the war.” Lance breath hitches at this, but he continues on, “It was hard for me then, watching everyone live so freely as if they haven’t had a care in the world. That part of my life….it nearly destroyed me. Pushed everyone away, stewed away alone because I didn’t know how else to continue.”

He rubs Lances back slowly, kisses his forehead, “I didn’t want that to happen to you,” he whispers, “I’m finally looking forward to tomorrow, I just wanted you to feel the same.”

-

They kiss and they sleep on the couch, tired from the whole ordeal. After, Lance lets him in, little by little, slowly, but it means the whole world to Kolivan. He takes Lance dancing at the club, where he learns that Lance was once one of the bartenders there. He shows Lance his family’s graves, Lance shows him to his father, a video call that takes ages and a lot of awkward moments. Kolivan gives him everything he wants, he’s not above spoiling him if it's within his paycheck. He has favours from all around, Lance starts to join him to the gym too.

Its days and months and years after that he finally takes out his savings and buys a ring for Lance. Gets on one knee in the diner that started it all and Lance gasps, eyes brimming with tears, knees trembling as he shakes his head.

-

-

-

(Of course, he says yes.)

_-fin-_

**Author's Note:**

> that stereotypical starving college student in debt was funny when it wasn't happening to me, there was a part in my life where I ate instant noodles for a month and it felt....natural, I felt ashamed to ask for money, keep telling myself that it really wasn't THAT bad cuz I still had money to save, to pay back bills and IOUs, to eat....but it really isn't.
> 
> I've heard some people are having a hard time searching for a meal in my area....and I just remembered that gnawing feeling in me and felt....sad. woah this turned out long. ANYWAY stay safe! do whatever keeps you going! and till the next one, (maybe) peace!
> 
> Thnks for reading!
> 
> I have a [twitter](https://twitter.com/crazydurians)! and check out my other [fics](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MatchaMochi/works) too! 
> 
> Comments and kudos are highly appreciated!


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